Support of Agriculture Grants For Sustainable Farms and Fields

WHEREAS policies to support
sustainable efficiencies can improve workers wages, the environment, and a
competitive advantage in global markets, and

WHEREAS climate change is
negatively affecting Washington State’s agriculture businesses by compromising
water resources and diminishing the availability of irrigation water, and

WHEREAS high intensity monoculture
farming accelerates soil erosion and requires the intensive use of fertilizers
that wash into waterways, thus resulting in increased polluted sediments and
the frequency of toxic algae blooms in freshwater lakes and estuaries, and

WHEREAS soil carbon storage can be
increased by cost effective modifications to agricultural practices resulting
in a reduction of carbon emissions impacts in Washington State, and

WHEREAS electrical operational
efficiencies can be greatly improved by modern farm equipment and technologies
including solar and wind power surge storage that enables the recharging of
battery powered farm equipment in off-the-grid mode, and

THEREFORE BE
IT RESOLVED, that the
Washington State Democratic Party Central Committee urges the Washington State
Legislature to pass a bipartisan Sustainable Farms and Fields Bill in the
upcoming legislative session that will provide grants to farmers to train and
implement practices that conserve water, reduce climate impacts, produce
sustainably and humanely raised products, and improve wages and market
competition.

Submitted to WSDCC by the ECC for
adoption consideration at its2019 September 26-27 Yakima
meeting.
Presented by Cigdem Capan – Benton County Democrats and approved by ECC on 2019
September 3.